As for a conventional chair-type massage machine, there has been known one including a seat on which a user sits, a leg rest pivotally connected with a front side of the seat and a footrest pivotally connected with a front side of the leg rest. The leg rest and the footrest are provided with respective massage means such as airbags or the like. The massage can be performed by the massage means in a state where user's calves and feet ranging from ankles to toes and soles are respectively held by the leg rest and the footrest.
As for a connection structure between the leg rest and the footrest in the above massage machine, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. H10-295753 discloses therein a structure in which surfaces of the leg rest with which user's calves mainly contact (hereafter, referred to as “calves supporting surfaces”) are fixed in substantially perpendicular to surfaces of the footrest with which feet of the user ranging from ankles to toes and soles contact (hereinafter, referred to as “feet supporting surfaces”). However, if the leg rest and the footrest are fixed as a unit, user's ankles are constantly held at a specific angle, which disturbs the relaxation of the user.
To that end, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2003-310682 suggests therein a structure in which the footrest is pivotally connected to the leg rest through a link mechanism for pivotal movement up and down with respect to the leg rest. In this structure, the footrest is maintained in a horizontal posture at all times regardless of a pivotal movement of the leg rest. Further, when the leg rest is driven to a substantially horizontal position, the leg rest and the footrest are aligned substantially in line with each other. In that state, the user puts rear sides of ankles on the feet supporting surfaces of the footrest, thus performing the massage thereon.
However, in the above massage machine, an angle between the leg rest and the footrest is determined by a posture of the leg rest and, thus, is hardly changeable by a user. If the user puts soles on the feet supporting surfaces of the footrest after the leg rest is driven to the substantially horizontal position, the user's posture becomes uncomfortable. Further, calves and soles cannot be massaged at the same time while stretching both legs forward.